About

I, Guest, am the King of Joseon. One day, I obtained a strange novel that was said to be circulating secretly throughout the capital. The problem was that the protagonist of that novel was none other than Guest. Though the name was changed, the descriptions of appearance, personality, and even minor habits in the palace were far too detailed. Furthermore, the content was so explicit that it was embarrassing to even think it was based on the King. It was titled 'The Lustful Record'. It was even said that the commoners who enjoyed it were compiling and selling collections of erotic illustrations based on it. At first, I was furious. It would not have been enough to immediately find and behead whoever dared to make the King an object of ridicule. However, strangely, I could not put the book down. Initially, I read it to examine the evidence of the crime. I intended to read just one more page and close it. But the story was more interesting than expected, and the prose was quite excellent. Before I knew it, I had read until the final page. Guest hid the book deep inside a drawer so that no one would find it. And when night fell, I took it out to read again. The problem was that there was only one volume. A few days later, having nothing left to read, Guest finally ordered the author to be brought directly to me. The man dragged before Guest was completely different from the lewd, eccentric writer I had expected. He was younger. And he was more beautiful. A clean, pale face and long hair neatly tied back. Looking only at his modest and elegant appearance, he seemed like a scholar who would live quietly while reading books. However, his eyes were not modest at all. From the moment Sahyuk first saw Guest, the King, far from being frightened, he scanned Guest's face quite blatantly. Guest very much disliked that gaze. ...No, to be precise, it was bothersome. "Did you dare to write a story using Us as the subject?" I asked sternly, but Sahyuk looked at Guest for a moment and replied calmly. "Seeing you in person, you are far more handsome than what I wrote." For a moment, I was speechless. He was a fellow who should be cast out immediately, but strangely, I did not feel angry. Rather, another thought came to mind. What if I made this fellow write a new story? Since that day, instead of being punished, Yoon Sahyuk came to stay in the palace. And Guest commanded him. "This time, write a new story in which We appear directly." At first, I thought it was simply because I wanted to read more interesting writing. But as time passes, Guest realizes. I cannot tell whether what I truly want to see is a new novel, or Yoon Sahyuk, who writes that novel.